Ski boot



J. E. ANDRE Nov. 28, 1950 SKI BOOT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 51, 1949 INVENTOR Mi JILL ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 J, ANDRE 2,531,763

SKI BOOT Filed Aug. 31, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG.3

INVENTOR Kmfi M1, ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKI Boo'r Jules E. AndrefMontclair, N. J.

Application August 31, 1949., 'SerialNo. 113,467

(01. -sac-2.5)

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to boots or shoes and particularly to ski boots or shoes.

A principal object of this invention is to so construct a boot, especially a ski boot or shoe so that the bottom surface or sole portion of the heel of a wearer will be kept firmly in position against the usual inner sole of the boot when in use in skiing particularly when the wearer in order to properly perform desired evolutions throws the knees far forward.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical em bodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illus trate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings and the several views thereon, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a boot embodying my invention viewed from the toe end thereof; Fig. 2 is a view of the boot as shown by Fig. 1 when in place on the foot of a wearer but before all parts have been tightly laced together; Fig. 3 is a view of a boot embodying my invention on the foot of a wearer viewed from the side thereof before all parts have been tightly laced together; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the device as shown by Fig. 3 on the plane indicated by the line IVIV viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line.

As is well understood by those who are proficient in the art of skiing, while making certain evolutions, the body weight is shifted from a straight vertical line to a position where the weight substantially passes through a vertical line passing through the knees and the lower legs make quite an acute angle with the horizontal. In such position, there is a tendency, using ordinary skiing boots for the bottom of the heel cf the skier to rise from the inner sole of the shoe. As is well understood by those skilled in the art, this is objectionable and it is highly desirable to avoid it, if possible. My invention provides means of preventing this undesirable rising of the bottom of the heel from the inner sole of the shoe or boot.

In the figures I have shown a skiing boot or shoe which includes all of the ordinary parts as the sole 1 and uppers. The main portion of the upper is formed to extend from the heel to the toe so that it includes the quarter 2, the vamp 3 and a partial toe box 4 and is bifurcated, forming two closely adjacent marginal edges as 5 and '6. These marginal edges are provided with lacing means as the hooks 1, The quarters in the rear or back of the shoe are bifurcated affording portions 8 and 9 each provided with lacing means as eyelets ID.

The usual toe box II is provided with a tongue 12 attached to the toe box and positioned to extend up from the instep of a wearer and have the lacing extend thereover.

It is to be understood that the parts so far described are usual and ordinary in most ski boots and I do not mean by the particular illustration and description to limit my ski boot to these particular specific constructions as they are merely illustrative, but my improved ski boot should have the quarters bifurcated at the rear forming the adjacent laceable edges 8 and 9.

At the rear of the boot I form an outside counter l3. This outside counter extends along the quarters so as to form something as a saddle as at Hi and at each end of the saddle is provided with lacing means as at l5 which are supplementary to the lacing means on the quarters. The outside counter I3 has an extension 16 which goes up between the bifurcated rear portions of the quarters and terminates in an above-theankle-band I l. The above-the-ankle-band If is bifurcated and means are provided for binding the band about the leg of a wearer. In the particular illustration shown, a hook I8 is on one portion of the bifurcated band and eyelets as 119 are on the other portion so that the bands may be placed about the leg of a wearer just above the ankle, and firmly bound to the wearers leg.

The upwardly extending portion of the outside counter [3 at the rear central portion thereof as at 20 is pinched or folded together, perhaps best Shown in Fig. 3, thereby forming a back stay which adds considerable strength to the extension so that if a considerable stress is applied thereto it may the better be able to withstand it.

On either side of the rear central line of the upward extension, stulnngs, 2| and 22, are introduced, well shown in Fig. 4. These stuflings, as perhaps best shown in Fig. 3, are positioned so as to be adapted to lie in the depressions just :above the heel of a person, one on either side of the central back line of the heel and leg. These depressions are really an external indication of the narrowing or restriction of the Achilles tendon at the back of the leg extending down to the lowermost portion of the heel.

These pads or stuffings may be made of any suitable or appropriate material, but I prefer a fairly dense sponge rubber. They may be retained in place by being positioned on the inner face of the lining 23 with suitable stitching.

From the hereinbefore given description it will be understood that the ski boot hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings is so constructed that when placed on the foot of the wearer and above-the-ankle-band I1 is securely bound about the leg of the wearer, and then the rear bifurcated portions of the quarters are tightly laced together after the forward lacing is completed that the wearers foot is not only securely held within the ski boot but the bottom of the heel of the wearer is so firmly attached to the shoe that the heel may not be raised from the inner sole of the shoe because the stuffings fit into the depression on each side of the wearers leg just above the heel and being firmly held in this depression by the tight lacing of the rear bifurcated portions of the quarters and the tightly bound above-ankle-band, it is quite impossible for the wearers heel to raise in the shoe or boot, even when the knees together with the body weight are thrown well forward so that the legs make an acute angle with the horizontal. The net result is that if the shoe, as is usual, is firmly and immovably atached to the ski, the wearers foot, in the same way, is so secured that it cannot rise from the inner sole which would be equivalent to the heel of the shoe rising from the skis so that the object of applicants invention is effected.

Although I have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of invention and explained the construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ski shoe of the form including a sole, quarters, including vamp portions, a toe box, and a tongue, said quarters being bifurcated at the rear and provided with means for lacing the bifurcated parts together the improvement which comprises an outside counter extending upwardly between the bifurcated upper and terminating in a bifurcated above-the-ankle-band with means for holding the two portions of the band together about the ankle of a wearer.

2. In a ski shoe of the form including a sole, quarters, including vamp portions, a toe box, and a tongue, said quarters being bifurcated at the rear and provided with means for lacing the bifurcated parts together the improvement which comprises an ouside counter extending upwardly between the bifurcated quarters and terminating in a bifurcated above-the-ankle-band with means for holding the two portions of the band together about the ankle of the wearer and a back stay formed of folded over portions of the upwardly extending counter and stitching through the folded portions.

3. In a ski shoe of the form including a, sole, quarters, including vamp portions, a toe box, and a tongue, said quarters being bifurcated at the rear and provided with means for lacing the bifurcated parts together the improvement which comprises an outside counter extending upwardly between the bifurcated quarters and terminating in a bifurcated above-the-ankleband with'means for holding the two portions together about the ankle of the wearer and a back stay formed of folded over portions of the upwardly extending counter and stitching through the folded portions and stuffings, one on each side of the rear central line of the upwardly extending counter, each positioned so as to be adapted to lie in one of the depressions just above the heel of a wearer.

4. A ski shoe formed with an outside counter, said counter formed with an upward extension terminating in an above-the-ankle-band, said band including means for binding it about the leg of a wearer and means positioned to bear in the depression just about the heel of a wearer for preventing the heel of a wearer from rising from the inner sole of the shoe.

5. A ski shoe including sole, upper, means for lacing an above-the-ankle bifurcated band and having means for binding the band about the leg of a wearer and attaching the band to the sole including stufiing positioned to be adapted to rest in the depressions just above the heel of a, wearer whereby the bottom of a wearers heel is maintained in close contact with the shoe even when the wearer bends'forward while the shoe is prevented from lifting.

6. A ski shoe, including, in combination, a sole, an upper forming quarter, vamp and a partial toe box and formed in two parts, said upper extending fro-m the toe to the heel and joined for a portion of the distance above the sole at the back of the heel, said upper provided along the marginal edges of the meeting portions with means for lacing, a toe box and a tongue, said tongue attached to the toe box and extending between the marginal edges of the meeting portions of the quarters and vamp, an outside counter extending around the heel portion and along each side of the upper and along the two marginal edges of the two parts of the upper at the portion provided with lacing means, and

' having lacing means along its edges, said counter including a bifurcated ankle portion extending upwardly and terminating in an above-the-ankleband provided on each of its free edges with means for holding it tightly around a wearers leg just above the ankle, said counter further provided with two spaced bodies, one adapted to lie on one depression just above the heel of a wearer and th other in the other depression just above the heel of a wearer, said counter being folded and stitched through and through along a central back portion above the heel portion to form a, back stay, said uppers provided for means for lacing at the central back portion above the heel.

'7. A shoe provided with a sole, toe box, uppers, including vamp portions, said uppers bifurcated at the rear and provided with means for lacing, a counter, said counter including an upwardly extending portion ending in a bifurcated abovethe-ankle-band with means for connecting the parts of the band, and stuffing on each side of a central rear line of the upwardly extended portion positioned to be adapted to lie in each of the depressions just above the heel of the wearer.

8. A ski shoe provided with a sole, upper bifurcated and somewhat separated at the rear above the heel portion and provided with means for lacing one portion to the other, an outside counter extending up between the bifurcated upper and terminating in an above-the-ankleband, means for binding the band about the leg of a wearer and two stufiings, one on each side of a central line of the rear of the extension,

each positioned to lie in a, depression just above the heel of a wearer.

9. A ski shoe provided with a sole, uppers, bifurcated and somewhat separated at the rear above the heel portion and provided with means for lacing one to the other, an outside counter extending up between the bifurcated upper and terminating in an above-the-ankle-band, means for binding the band about the leg of a wearer and two stuflings, one on each side of a central line of the rear of the extension, each positioned to lie in a depression just above the heel of a wearer and a back stay formed by folding the extension along the central rear line and stitching the folded portions together.

JULES E. ANDRE.

No references cited. 

